1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses, systems and methods consistent with the present invention relate to provision of security services. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus, a system, and a method that provides a service that is requested from a control device based on permit time set in a controlled device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a variety of network devices in a private network based on the Internet Protocol (hereinafter, referred to as “IP”) provide a variety of applications under a computing environment constructed through middleware.
The network devices are interconnected by a peer-to-peer mechanism using a variety of middleware, such as home audio/video interoperability (HAVI), Universal Plug and Play Control Device (UPnP), Java Intelligent Network Infra-structure (Jini), and LonWorks.
Network devices may construct a network using the middleware, and each network device constituting the network is connected to a virtual computing environment, to thereby provide users with various services that can be adapted to the application(s) of the network device.
Network devices can be classified into network devices (hereinafter, referred to as “Control Devices or Control Points” and abbreviated as “CPs”) that control other network devices and regular network devices (hereinafter, referred to as “Controlled Devices” and abbreviated as “CDs”) that provide services specific to their particular applications according to the direction of the control device.
A control device may restrict a user from using some services of a controlled device. For such a restriction, specific security services have been suggested. An access control list (ACL), which indicates access rights a control device has to a controlled device and restrictions on using services permitted to the control device, has been used in conventional security services. The ACL is stored in the controlled device and can only be edited by a specific network device called a security console (SC).
Accordingly, the controlled device may securely provide designated services to an authorized control device.
Since conventional security services are provided to a control device, which requests the services from the controlled device, rather than to users who intend to use the controlled device on a home network, the conventional method is not designed around users. Especially, if a network system requiring a parental control function adopts the conventional method, a network manager has to individually manage the control devices, which is inconvenient for the network manager.
Accordingly, there is a demand for a technology whereby access rights for a controlled device are managed by each user who desires to be supplied with services from the controlled device.
Further, an access control technology is required based on temporal restrictions for various security services.
Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-0055222 discloses “A method for notifying use of exceeding the time limit in an always on/dynamic ISDN (AO/DI) service,” comprising inspecting whether the accumulated time of use exceeds the time limit when an Internet subscriber requests a connection to the Internet, and generating information regarding excessive time in a connection message and transmitting it to the subscriber if the accumulated time of use exceeds the time limit. However, this publication discloses only control of a specific network device used by the subscriber. Further, when a plurality of users uses a single network device, connection by each user cannot be controlled. Korean Patent Publication No. 2001-0055222 also does not disclose access control for various services provided between network devices in a home network.